Looking Back at 2012

Every year since I have been blogging, I have written a post about my resolutions for the year to follow.

However, I will not be making resolutions for 2013. This year I am imitating my husband, who, when I said that except for marrying him, 2012 was a horrid year, said that he could name many wonderful things that happened to him in 2012. He then went on to name them, starting, wisely, with his marriage to me on September 20.

I was impressed with my husband’s list, which named a few large blessings, but, for the most part, named small, seemingly insignificant occurrences. Case in point, he was thankful for having seen some good movies in 2012. That thought would not have occurred to me, because, well … I don’t know why.

I think that although I have assessed my personality as being of the positive bent, I am more of the opposite.

I have been greatly affected by the tragedies of 2012, starting with the passing of my beloved dad, Harold J. Chadwick, in September. Some days my grief has known no relief, except for that of tears. It should have been relieved by praise and prayer. My father was a man after God’s own heart, and I should have praised God every single day since Dad’s “graduation” that he is now able to see the face of God. Instead, I have been feeling sorry for myself at the loss of someone I love so dearly. Forgive me, Dad, and forgive me, Father God, for not rejoicing at Your benevolence in receiving my earthly father into Your bosom.

I lost many family members this year; yet, all of them are now with the Lord, and so I rejoice at their happiness, that they are in a place where there is neither sorrow, nor remembrance of pain.

Therefore, resolving only this, to be thankful for the past year, I present my list of large and small blessings. I was fortunate to:

· Reacquaint myself with, fall in love with, and marry the most wonderful and handsome and kind Jeffrey W. Jones.

·Acquire three beautiful stepchildren—Darby, who is beautiful and funny and intelligent; Zachary, who is quirky in his most intelligent thoughts, makes me laugh with his commentary, fascinating to talk with, and who dreams big dreams; and Blaine, who is the king of awesome, and hears everything, and is the image of his father in all ways. All three of these children make me proud and are going to make the world a better place.

· Expand my family with my delightful in-laws: Willard and Rose Jones. I love you dearly.

· Behold the continuing wonder that is my eldest daughter, Sarah, a mother of unusual fierceness, who does everything with her whole heart, whether it is work, love, or showing her faith. Sarah has given me two delightful grandchildren, Hannah (the darling of my heart) and Michael (my boy wonder; for years I often wondered what to do with a boy child), and I love them with every fiber of my being and am inordinately proud of them both.

· Marvel at the beauty, wit, and strength of my youngest daughter, Samantha, who also lost many family members this year on her father’s side of the family, in addition to those lost on my side.

· Gain a future son-in-law, Alan Walke. Sam will marry him this year on December 7, 2013. She has made a marvelous choice for the companion of her life. Huzzah!

·Garner quality time with my most beautiful mother, Beverlee Chadwick, and my equally beautiful little sister, Barbara Chadwick Bentley, during the years we lived together in Batavia and Amelia.

· See the strength of my brothers, Steve Chadwick and Thomas Chadwick, during the hard days prior to and after my dad’s passing.

· Laugh at my older sister, Kim’s, very odd sense of humor, and enjoyed her three lovely daughters, and her grandchildren.

· Have a cat that does not love my mother more than it does me, as my boy-kitty Dickens does (the traitor). Dickens soon became my mother’s delight after he was adopted, fed, and nurtured by me. He then decided I was not all that, and chose my mom instead. Now I have Bella, who, although she is Jeff’s cat, is easily bribed with toys and treats and baby talk into loving me more—perhaps.